For 60-year-old Muldrow resident Benjamin Waters, honoring his Choctaw heritage is perhaps his life’s mission.
Waters, who retired from the City of Fort Smith in December 2023 after working for 25 years as a road worker, said his days are spent working around his house, helping out neighbors, and writing down the Choctaw stories that his family taught him to preserve for what he calls “the next bunch of folks.”
“It is important to get these stories and legends down because future generations will forget them, and they will one day be gone,” Waters said.
Retirement opened a new chapter for Waters, one where he immersed himself in the art of Choctaw crafts. Basket weaving and doll making became his chosen forms of artistic expression.
Despite his modesty, those who see his creations are quick to attest that his work is nothing short of amazing. Each piece reflects not only skill but also a profound connection to Choctaw traditions.
Basket weaving, for Waters, is like telling a story with every strand. He enjoys the rhythm of creating something both useful and beautiful, connecting him to the traditions of Choctaw craftsmanship.
Doll making, on the other hand, lets him capture bits of Choctaw life in each tiny figure. It’s a way of bringing stories to life, preserving them in a tangible form that can be passed down to future generations.
For Waters, both crafts are not just about making things; they’re about keeping the spirit of Choctaw culture alive through hands-on artistry.
“People don’t realize that our ancestors used crafts like mine to tell stories. Lots of people like this stuff for decoration, but really it is more than that,” he said.
Waters is also teaching his children and grandchildren Choctaw.
“I learned Choctaw at home as a child; that is what my folks spoke to each other in, and my grandma only spoke Choctaw,” Waters said. “More people spoke Choctaw back then, but too few speak it now.”
However, teaching Choctaw comes with its challenges. Waters observes that some individuals struggle to grasp the intricacies of the language.
“It is a tonal language,” he explains, “kind of like Chinese, and people struggle to understand the concept, so I teach people simple phrases they can remember.”
In a conversation, Waters shared, “Language is the heartbeat of a culture. It carries the essence of who we are as Choctaw people. I may not be the best teacher, but I believe in the importance of trying. If we don’t make an effort to pass on our language, a part of our identity will be lost.”
For Waters, growing up in a Choctawspeaking household was normal. It wasn’t until he started Kindergarten that he realized he was one of the few remaining Choctaw families teaching their children Choctaw in the home.
“I remember going to school, and there was another little Indian boy. I walked up to him and started speaking Choctaw, and he just stared at me. I don’t think any of those kids or teachers spoke any Choctaw. It was odd seeing people that looked like me and didn’t speak the language,” Waters said.
Waters’ son, Bobby, said that his dad “works tirelessly to keep our Choctaw heritage alive.
“Through crafts and language lessons, he’s not just preserving traditions; he is honoring all Choctaw people,” Bobby said.
Waters wants to remind people to “honor your roots, because an aspen cannot become an oak tree,” and said that anyone interested in learning Choctaw should watch some YouTube videos to get started, and to take advantage of the Choctaw Nation resources.
In Benjamin Waters’ baskets and dolls, you see him not just being creative but really caring about Choctaw culture.
“He’s both a craft guy and a teacher, trying hard to share Choctaw talk and ways,” his son said. “He helps people with the language, even when it gets tricky.”
With his crafts and lessons, Waters is doing real things to keep Choctaw ways alive, making sure there’s a bit of it for the “next bunch of folks.”
